The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful holders of the vice-presidency in US history. While numerous vice-presidents had to settle for peripheral or ceremonial positions, Cheney held substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was often referred to as the "true president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and claimed the relationship was more complex. He noted that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in official appearances as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it implied that they were peers. Despite such protestations, Cheney found the relaxed president malleable on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
Leading of a faction of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a school in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any non-communicating planes approaching the government building.
Cheney claimed the attacks transformed him, leading him to become focused on retaliation. Along with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Actions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the enhanced interrogation of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on inaccurate information echoed by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It was the correct action to do at that time. I had faith then and I maintain that stance now."
Yet even then, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I saw, at the very least," he later wrote "obvious failure, inaction, and irresponsibility: at worst, deception, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had composed a memo setting out circumstances in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "obtaining vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be postured to take unilateral action when cooperative measures prove impossible," particularly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the presidency generally inclined on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of lowering America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a plot to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, consistently referencing information documents that were either weak or entirely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush government indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of interrogation method and torture.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no useful information had come from the torture, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and create procedures to catch the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney enjoyed nicknames imposed on him by critics such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that remains unseen emerge from his domain? It's a nice way to work, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his business interests followed him throughout his time as second-in-command. While he had little experience in business but established relationships in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US contracts worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation rose from his $258,394 when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth more than $20m|twenty
